Harry Keogh  Necroscope?
by AMountainLion
Summary: A short story I had to get out of my system after reading certain books of the Necroscope series.  Harry pays a visit to E-Branch...


DISCLAIMER: I do not own any of the characters in the following work. This is simply a humble attempt to honor the legend that is Brian Lumley, author of the Necroscope series. It is also an indulgence... how I would have liked to seen things go. Of course, being familiar with the Necroscope novels would aid tremendously in understanding the following story.

Alarms were going off all over E-Branch. There was motion where there should not be any. And it was not only the technological alarms that were gonging, but the telepathic ones were as well. There were thoughts... a presence, where absolutely none should be. At least it was a familiar presence. Wasn't it? Yes, Trevor Jordan was certain he recognized that 'mental signature', despite firm barriers that were in place. Gifted telepath that he was, he knew he would not be able to get into Harry Keogh's mind if the Necroscope did not want him there.

At almost the same time the alarms begin to blare one of the newest members of E-Branch screamed. Stacy Roat had just been given a tour of the facilities a few days ago. Now she was staring blankly at a wall, her green eyes wild, red hair half covering them. Trevor knew she was getting a glimpse of the future; and apparently one that she was horrified of!

As other members of the branch went to comfort Stacy, Trevor and went down the hall to Harry's room. Despite that no one had seen Harry enter the highly secured building, Trevor and most of the rest of the branch knew full well that he was there in the room they had set aside for his infrequent visits.

Trevor approached Harry's door and hesitated a moment, then lifted his hand to knock. At the same moment someone turned off the alarms, and the door swung open! Trevor jumped a little, then sighed his relief. "Harry... you're going to be the death of me yet," he said jokingly.

Harry Keogh tilted his head with a quizzical look, and then smiled. "Is Darcy in?" he asked in a quiet voice.

Trevor shook his head. "Darcy called in sick today. He had a splitting headache. Reminded of that time with Yuli..." he trailed off. Darcy Clarke's talent was rather unique. Some strange guardian angel watched over him, ensuring he would not come to any harm. If there was danger anywhere nearby, Darcy would avoid the place like the plague. Sometimes it was a concious thing and he knew what he was doing. Other times he seemed to have a flu bug, or he'd fall and twist his ankle while preparing to go somewhere, or he'd lose his car keys. Invariably something would happen at the place Darcy would have been if his talent had not stepped up.

And now Stacy was down the hall screaming "It's not him! It's not him!"

Trevor glanced in her direction for a second then looked at Harry again. He gasped and tried to step back, but the Necroscope reached out lightning-quick, grabbing the telepath by the neck and lifting him off the floor. As Trevor choked and grasped at his wrist, Harry leaned in and _sniffed_ about his face like some great dog. Then he grinned. But there are grins and then there are grins. And Harry's just kept widening and widening, teeth elongating, rupturing through gums and sending blood spurting. Not only his teeth but his entire mouth was lengthening, fur sprouting all over him while his eyes glowed a bright red. Trevor found himself unable to look away from those eyes despite the other horrors of Harry's transformation. Finally his vision was filled by the Necroscope's huge maw as it gaped open. And then he saw nothing... ever again.

The other members of the Branch fared little better. Harry hunted them down, loping down the halls after them, snarling at the occasional bursts of gunfire. Even when bullets did hit him they only served to infuriate him.

Finally he came to Stacy where she had backed into a corner and sat down on the floor, trembling. He cocked his head and walked up to her on huge footpads, the remnants of his hoes clinging to them still.

"Its not him... its not him..." she was still mumbling under her breath.

Harry nodded in agreement. "Yes, Harry Keogh has been gone for... oh... some time now." He sat on his haunches and grinned a feral grin at her. "But I learned all that he knew, and I can do all the things he could. Although his dead people will not so much as speak to me," he said with a derisive snort. "Not that I need them. What? I can teleport anywhere in the world at will. I can have as many aeries in diverse locations as I want. And I know how to use all of Harry's toys," he said with a sadistic smile. Unclipping a grenade from his belt, he ran the explosive along Stacy's cheek. "I will need a good many pups and wolves to guard my many aeries. And who better than those that had talents to begin with, eh?" He put the grenade away and hauled Stacy to her feet. "I have already paid a visit to the Soviet and Chinese equivalents of E-Branch. Now the people who lived and work there are in the sleep of change. Some will be mere yellow eyed pups, others will be wolves! But not THE wolf. There is only one Lord Radu Lykan."

Stacy blinked a few times then shook her head and tried to pull away from him. "No... I won't. No!" Perhaps she had caught a glimpse of her own future.

Radu only tightened his grip and pulled her closer. "Yes... you will," he said with a grin and then bit her. Not too deeply... but deep enough. He took from her while leaving something of himself in the wound. After he had a long drink he let her crumple to the floor. The rest of the branch lay here and there, a few dead- Radu had been hungry at first- but most were merely unconscious.

After loping through the quiet halls and rooms one last time to make certain he got everyone, Radu conjured a door and exited the known universe.

He reappeared in high in the mountains, intending to check on his warrior. Ah but now he saw it had awakened in his abscence. Alas, the plague had not spared it; no less than it had... him.

The dog-Lord walked over to his former self, nudged the body with his foot. He was fortunate that the leech within it had not been infected, only the flesh of its host. And though it had tried very hard to combat the illness, it was nearly overwhelmed. Just as it was for the warrior; made from his flesh and blood and other fluids.

Auld Jon was waiting for him; waiting on the other side of the chamber from the newborn warrior. He knew better than to try to approach the creature, no matter how ill it seemed.

Despite that it had fed well on the corpse of BJ Mirlu and her fledgling pack, the warrior was not going to survive. Radu nodded at Jon. "I have had enough of this place. Now it burns. Place torches here... here.. and here," he said, pointing at key locations where the natural supports were weak.

Radu did not want the plague to spread across the land again. At least, not the plague that almost did him in. Some, many perhaps, would say that the plague he had in mind was much worse.

He would eventually have to figure out something to do about Darcy Clarke. If he could just make eye contact with him, that would be enough to beguile him. The rest would be easy. But how do you get close to a man who instinctively avoids danger at all cost? Not that it much mattered. Clarke was just one man. Even if his talent kept him safe, he would be living in a world of vampires. No... Werewolves. For the vampires would all be dead, just as soon as Radu hunted them down. And thanks to Harry's memories and visions, he knew exactly where the Ferenczies and the last Drakul had their aeries. He could go their places where they thought themselves safe... appear in their chambers along with an army of pups. It would be easy. And he would finally have the total revenge he had wanted for... oh, a very long time.

As Radu and Jon left the burning redoubt and walked out under the light of a full moon, they both tilted their heads back and howled to their glorious moon mistress.

And from the countryside below, there were many many howls in answer...

In the months and years to come, as the world descended into chaos and howls echoed around the globe nightly, Darcy Clarke would think about on that time when Harry Keogh left E-Branch. He'd had the chance then to… fix things. He could have seen to it that Harry was restricted in the use of his powers. But he had put his foot down and reminded the Powers that Be of all good Harry had done; how he had quite likely saved the world, all on his own. And they had agreed. There would be no need to make use of Mr. Anderson's abilities. If anyone could be trusted, it was Harry Keogh.

And now as Darcy shivered in an underground lair with a few other human refugees, he had to wonder if meddling with Harry's mind would have made any difference.


End file.
